Bachelor in Paradise is due to return to ABC this summer. For weeks, the network has been hyping up the series, with several big names in Bachelor Nation going to bat for the show. Jesse Palmer has been hyping up the competition for weeks, insisting it’s going to be a different experience than past seasons. While the inclusion of “golden” contestants will surely spice things up, he’s promising more. The network may have made a massive fumble with the lineup, though. This week, the week 1 contestants were revealed, and we couldn’t help but notice that men from season 21 of The Bachelorette are dominating the roster. That might not be a good thing. The season was problematic. Did we really need to see more of the men who made Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette almost unwatchable?

Season 21 of ‘The Bachelorette’ was hated, but the network is bringing contestants back for ‘Bachelor in Paradise’

Season 21 of The Bachelorette, led by Jenn Tran, has been widely criticized as one of the franchise’s most disappointing seasons. Despite featuring the first Asian American Bachelorette, the season was marred by production missteps, problematic contestants, and an emotionally exploitative finale. The season was so bad and created so much negative press that fans were unsurprised when the network opted to hit pause on the franchise.

Most viewers agreed that while Jenn Tran was not the most confident lead to take the stage, she was not to blame for how poorly the season went. Casting essentially served her truly problematic men. Casting agents are well-versed in how viewers feel about the men who tried to woo Jenn. Yet, they opted to cast seven men from that one season, including two who were considered especially problematic for the return of Bachelor in Paradise.

Seven men from Jenn Tran’s season were cast

As soon as the contestants were revealed, fans were quick to sound off on social media. Many pointed out that Jenn’s men are overrepresented, and it’s not a good thing. The season will feature Hakeem Moulton, Jonathan Johnson, Jeremy Simon, Brian Autz, Ricky Marinez, Sam McKinney, and Spencer Conley. While fans liked Jonathan and Spencer, viewers almost universally disliked Jeremy and Sam.

Sam’s casting, in particular, has led to considerable confusion. After all, he actively bullied the other contestants. He pushed Jenn to do things she didn’t want to do. Sam even strolled forward to “neg” Jenn to protect his own ego. He and his family spoke negatively about the show and continued to bully Jenn throughout the season. Jeremy, who seemed aloof while on the show, was accused of racist tweets by Reddit users. Several social media followers also raised questions about the legitimacy of his “backstory.”

Was casting so many men from Jenn’s season a fumble?

There are a lot of contestants from Jenn’s season of The Bachelorette set to appear on Bachelor in Paradise. That might not be beneficial for the show’s potential success. While fans have been waiting a long time to return to Paradise, it hasn’t been all that long since Jenn’s ill-fated season. We’ve seen those men recently, and we disliked those men recently.

Was casting problematic men a fumble, though? Honestly, at this point, it could go either way. For some viewers, having to watch men like Sam McKinney and Jeremy Simon return to TV screens so quickly will dissuade them from tuning into the dating competition. For others, they make the prospect of the series more enticing. While both are considered villains for the franchise, villains always bring drama, and drama is entertaining. At least they didn’t cast Devin Strader.